The privatisation of multiple plots of land owned by Riga Airport in 2012 was illegal, said Mayor of Riga Vilnis Ķirsis at a press-conference on Wednesday, the 27th of March.
This was concluded in the evaluation of the rule of law of the privatisation process by the municipality.
When they were making this decision, municipal deputies did not have access to full information.
On the 6th of March Riga City Council decided to recognise the decision made on the 21st of September 2022 to complete the privatisation of 22 plots of land near the airport as null and void, restoring ownership over these plots of land.
Previously, in 2010, when Nils Ušakovs was the Mayor of Riga, deputies asked LLC Rīgas pilsētbūvnieks to establish a regional exhibition and conference centre on those plots of land and invested the territory into the company’s base capital.
Later, in 2012, Riga City Council dropped this project and decided to privatise the plots of land in question.
As Riga City Council Legal Affairs Office leader Natālija Bulgakova said at the press-conference, this decision was unlawful and it is because of it the privatisation should be cancelled.
She said an order has been issued to assess the responsibility of those involved in decision-making.
Ķirsis said the request for evaluation will be submitted to law enforcement institutions. It will also be requested to hand over the plots of land to state ownership.
Riga’s Executive Director Jānis Lange said he will officially inform investors who had acquired the plots of land in question to discuss what will be done.
It is planned to talk with the investor about whether it will be possible to reach a mutual agreement on the cancellation of the privatization process, or the municipality will have to take the issue to court.
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